Gift
by Scottie2
Summary: LN. A Short Fic featuring our favorite captain and navigator, with some free time.


A/N: A L/N Fic. Short and sweet. I tried really hard to keep it in character; I think it came out alright. I struggled for days to add more to this, but decided it was best to just leave it where I've ended it. Maybe more in the future...Enjoy!

"Gift"

IIIII

Whether it was the sound of the door slamming or the resulting strong gust of cool night air that awoke Nami was rather insignificant. What mattered was that the red-haired navigator was cranky, and the sight in the window was none too comforting.

"What is he doing?" she thought, watching as her captain ran full speed for the shore. "I told them not to cause any trouble on this island, we're just passing through…"

Sighing, Nami rose to her feet and made her way towards the exit of the small lodge the Straw Hat crew was currently occupying. Closing the door _quietly_ on the way out, her mood was somewhat improved by the feel of the cool sand on her bare feet.

"Luffy!" she cried with her voice low, hoping to avoid waking the rest of her crew. He had already reached the shore and stood, transfixed. "What are you doing?"

He didn't seem to notice, however, as the next thing Luffy did was begin to strip down to only his shorts. His hat gently placed next to vest and sandals, Nami stood entranced as her captain began walking into the ocean.

"But…he can't swim!" she thought, beginning to jog over to where he was. "What does he think he's doing?"

Of course, Luffy knew better than to try and fight with the power of the devil fruit. He stood with the water at waist level, still looking transfixed into the horizon.

Nami finally caught up to him, reaching the shore of the sea. "Luffy?"

He turned, a sad look being replaced by a knowing smile. They shared a brief silence, one that held thousands of words.

"I can't swim."

"I know."

"But I'm not stupid Nami, I could learn to swim, I could! It's just…I just…"

"Luffy…" The navigator was surprised to feel a tear make its way down the side of her face.

Her captain sighed, making his way back to where she stood at the edge of the water. "I don't want to go back in," he said, motioning towards the lodge. He said nothing more, but Nami knew she had been asked to stay.

Nami sighed, settling into the cool sand as her captain did the same. Something was irking it's way into her mind, but she just couldn't place it. Besides, most of her attention was placed on the manner in which her captain was behaving. He wasn't depressed really, just serene. It was a nice change of pace, but Nami decided she'd much rather see a grin than hear Luffy sigh.

Silence always helped Nami think, something her crewmates never seemed to understand. In fact, the hush of the night was doing wonders at the moment. "That's it!" she exclaimed, standing up with excitement. Her captain gave a questioning look, one she ignored as she grabbed his hand and the adjacent hat, knowing that leaving the precious possession behind was out of the question.

IIIII

"Why am I doing this?" Nami asked herself. "We're just supposed to be passing through, not causing any trouble…" Her thoughts did nothing to slow her down, however, as she and Luffy raced through the vacant streets of the sleeping seaside town.

"Nami?" Luffy said, staring at where she finally stopped. It was a large hotel, one where only the most prominent guests of the island ever stayed. "Wha-"

"Shh!" she replied, leading him into some shadows. Her lock picking skills as a thief came in handy as they made their way around the perimeter of the hotel, towards the back. What greeted them was a small body of water, a plethora of lawn chairs, and some dim lights.

Luffy had a confused look on his face, one that complemented the severe look of frustration on Nami's.

"What do I think I'm doing?" She thought. Sighing, she took her captain's hand once more. "It's a pool, Luffy."

"What's a pool?"

Nami responded with a grin, tactfully double-checking she was at the shallow end before pushing her captain into the water.

"Pff..buhaa…buhweuh…HEY!"

Nami giggled, taking a little guilty pleasure in the sight of her captain wet and shirtless. "Pay attention, because I'm about to teach you how to swim!"

Luffy's eyes lit up, his classic grin now stretching from ear to ear. "Really?"

Nami returned the smile, that is, until she saw the playful look in her captain's eyes. "What?" was all she got out before her ankle was grabbed and she found herself drenched head to foot.

"LUFFY!"

He laughed, drawing her near. Ignoring the blush that appeared on her face he whispered, "Nami, I can think of only one gift that means more to me right now…" He placed his precious hat, which was floating nearby, onto his navigator. "And you're wearing it."

Nami smiled, simultaneously willing her cheeks to return to their natural color.

IIIII


End file.
